Bees and Lip Gloss
by The Irish Baroness
Summary: Bailey finds it strange that Ayame has a passion for lip gloss... and finds it even more strange that Ayame wallows in misery when she can't find a specific lip gloss! What's even MORE strange, is that Kikumaru might have the solution!


_This is a one-shot I wrote in honor of my OC from my on-going story, _New Beginnings_, Hyogo Ayame. I wrote a previous one for my other OC, Niigata Kari, _Elephant's Memory_, so I thought 'why not for bubbly Ayame!' I suppose it would be best if you aquainted yourself with _New Beginnings _before reading this... but you don't have to :)_

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**Bees and Lip Gloss**

_The Irish Baroness_

(All Standard Disclaimers Apply)

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Bailey stared in awe of Ayame's expansive lip gloss and lip balm collection. Standing proudly in a meticulous order stood rows and columns of tubes and small tubs of lip gloss. There were deep shades of lip stick, lustrous liquids of lip gloss, solid colors of vitalizing lip balm, and other such make-up of for one's lips that Bailey didn't know existed. Ayame's precious lip gloss collection was displayed proudly in her bathroom (probably the size of her bedroom, Bailey noted).

"Impressed?" chirped Ayame, striding into her bathroom. She had previously invited Bailey to her family's sprawling mansion to go out shopping with the fellow ballet student.

Bailey glanced up from Ayame's collection of lip applicants and stared wide-eyed at the blonde. "Are you kidding me?" Bailey said incredulously. "I don't think I've seen this much lip gloss in a store! Why do you have so many?"

Ayame shrugged. "I love lip gloss… actually, there's a specific reason why I asked you to come shopping with me."

"Really? What is it?"

Ayame sighed wistfully and stared longingly at her army of lip glosses. She kept them in order depending on type of applicant, color, flavor, and manufacturer. Her most prized lip glosses, the sorts where the specific flavor or color was no longer in production, stood the most proud on a smaller shelf above the rest. "You see," she said in all seriousness, "yesterday in class, I saw Natsuki pull out a tube of lip gloss out of her bag… she bragged to her friends that it was an _American _brand that gave her lips a most beautiful _frosty _color. I knew right then that I _had _to have it. I want to have it before our recital in a few nights… the frosty color will look _amazing _in the stage lights!"

"Oh, American? Do you remember the manufacturer?" asked Bailey. Names of American lip gloss producers filed through her mind. She didn't have a crazy obsession with lip gloss like Ayame did, but she did have a number of tubes of lip gloss lying around in her purse and bathroom.

Ayame's eyebrows furrowed as she scoured the recesses of her mind for the name of her desired lip gloss. "Um… it had something to do with a bug…"

"A bug?"

"Yeah." Ayame nodded. "It was a wasp? No… hornet?"

Bailey's eyebrows shot up. "You mean a _bee_?"

Ayame clapped her hands in triumph. "That's it!,"

"You must be talking about _Burt's Bees_," said Bailey. She began to brim with pride when she realized she knew something about lip gloss that Ayame didn't. "They're actually my favorite lip gloss producers… but I ran out awhile ago."

"Well, Natsuki had it so it must be sold in Japan!" exclaimed Ayame.

Bailey knew that wasn't quite sure. Natsuki could have ordered it online or perhaps she had family in America who sent her American products. But before Bailey could reason with the blonde, Ayame grabbed her wrist and began to drag her out of the mansion. When Bailey spied the hopeful glint in Ayame's eyes, she realized she didn't have the heart to break the news to her.

Sighing, Bailey subjected herself to Ayame's fruitless venture for _Burt's Bees _in Japan. Their adventure started in the nearest department store. Ayame was on a mission as she scoured the shelves of every store they burst into, intently searching for the sacred tube of _Burt's Bees _lip gloss. When she inquired about it to a nearby sales clerk, the employee would merely shrug and claim they've never heard of the American lip gloss producer.

Five hours and thirty stores later, the two girls sat exhausted and dejected on a park bench. After dragging their feet out of their last stop, Ayame admitted defeat and called for a car to pick them up and take them home. Silence engulfed them as Ayame began to sulk, upset she couldn't find Natsuki's prized lip gloss. Bailey felt pity for her downtrodden friend, but bit back the information she contemplated on before they left Ayame's mansion.

Realizing the sun was quickly approaching the horizon, Bailey lifted her wrist to inspect her watch. "Oh," she said, rising from her seat. "I have to go home! My house is a few minutes away so you don't need to drop me off."

Ayame slowly lifted her head to stare dolefully up at her American friend. "Oh, okay… I'll see you at ballet class, then," she said miserably.

"Cheer up!" urged Bailey. "You have so many tubes of lips stick, lip gloss, and lip balm in your bathroom! I'm sure you'll fine something even more amazing to wear for the recital."

Ayame hung her head in dismay, returning her unwavering attention to her feet. She dug her toe slightly into the dirt, creating a small mountain. "But I wanted that one," she whined, mimicking the pitch of a deprived five-year-old.

Bailey sighed and scratched her head unsurely. She didn't want to leave her brooding friend alone in the park… but Obasan would be furious is she was late for dinner. She searched her surroundings frantically, hoping for an idea. Her eyes grew wide with relief and glee when she spied a familiar figure bouncing happily in their direction.

"Kikumaru-kun!" cried Bailey, waving her arms at the oblivious redhead, hoping to attract his attention.

At the sound of his name, Kikumaru's head snapped up and a childish grin broke across his face when he spied the familiar brunette. "Bay-chan!" He quickened his pace to cross the distance between them and eagerly enveloped Bailey in one of his famous hugs.

"Yes, yes, good to see you, too," Bailey said quickly, prying the acrobat off of her. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything," chirped Kikumaru.

Bailey nodded towards the mournful Ayame, her head still bent, ignorant of Kikumaru's presence. Her blonde curls spilled over her slumped shoulders and her now dirty ballet flats had created an even larger mountain, the product of her sulking and disappointment. Kikumaru's blissful smile faded when he recognized the usual bubbly ballerina and he seemed to begin to wallow in Ayame's self-pity.

"She's upset because we couldn't find the lip gloss she wanted," explained Bailey, realizing how childish it sounded.

Kikumaru nodded his head like he could relate to Ayame's depression. "Sometimes, I can't find the toothpaste that I want and that makes me really sad," he said softly to Bailey.

Bailey shot the redhead an are-you-kidding-me look, but quickly corrected herself. "Yeah, well… now Ayame's waiting for her car to pick her up… but I have to go home. I don't want to leave her alone. Can you wait with her while her car comes? I'm sure she'll give you a ride home, if you want."

"Of course!" said Kikumaru. He graced Bailey with a victory sign before plopping down on the bench beside Ayame.

Bailey issued a quick goodbye to her two friends before starting her trek home. Ayame remained oblivious to the world and didn't notice that Bailey was replaced with a fiery haired boy with a fetish for toothpaste. It took a gentle jab in the side to shake Ayame from her reverie and she yelped in surprise when she realized who her company was.

"Kikumaru-kun!" she cried in surprise.

"Hey, Hyogo-chan," said Kikumaru. "Bay-chan had to go home so she asked me to wait with you while you wait for your car."

It took a second for Ayame to process the information. A small smile tugged at her lips. Kikumaru's cheerfulness proved to be contagious. "Thank you, Kikumaru-kun," she said graciously. "That was very nice of you."

"No problem," assured the acrobat. "But I couldn't help but notice that you look sad…"

Ayame sighed wistfully and glanced past the redhead, as if her problem was palpable and it was visible behind them. "There's this frosty lip gloss that I really, really, really want… but it's American and I can't find it in any store here in Japan."

Kikumaru nodded knowledgably as he listened to Ayame's dilemma. "My oldest sister really likes American lip gloss. There's one that she really, really likes… it's a bug, I think…"

"_Burt's Bees_!"

"That's it!" exclaimed Kikumaru. "Yeah, she has a bunch."

Ayame's glittered with childish hope and she leaned towards the redhead imploringly. "Where does she buy it?"

"She orders it," explained Kikumaru. "It takes a few weeks for it to come in the mail."

Ayame's face fell instantly and her gloomy mood returned once more. "Oh," she said, leaning back against the bench. She began to kick the dirt once more and sighed audibly. "That's disappointing."

At that moment, a sleek town car pulled up to the car. Realizing her ride had arrived, Ayame slowly rose from the bench and turned towards her companion. She sullenly offered Kikumaru a ride home which he politely declined, claiming his house was within a short walking distance. Ayame nodded and stumbled towards her car, her eyes glued to the ground and her head hung pitifully. Kikumaru watched sadly as the woeful blonde clambered into her car and drove off.

"I wonder if there's anything I can do for her…" he mumbled to himself. His face brightened instantly when a light bulb clicked on in his mind. "I've got it!" he cried, whipping out his cell phone and quickly punching in a number.

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"Bay-chan! Fujiko!"

The couple spun around in surprise as Kikumaru sprinted towards them. When he finally reached them, he bent over slightly to catch his breath. Fuji and Bailey exchanged inquisitive glances before turning back towards the panting redhead. Straightening up, Kikumaru beamed at two of his best friends.

"What is it?" Fuji said calmly.

Kikumaru turned towards Bailey. "Can we go see Hyogo-chan?" he pleaded.

Bailey peered at the redhead warily. "You do realize she goes to _Hyotei_, right?"

Kikumaru nodded. "Yeah, yeah! I have something really important to give to her!"

Bailey glanced up at her boyfriend. "You don't mind if we take a detour home, do you, Syuusuke?" she asked.

Fuji shrugged. "I don't mind."

Bailey turned back towards the buoyant redhead and sighed. "Alright. Let's go to Hyotei."

Kikumaru chuckled slightly in excitement and bounced a few paces in front of Fuji and Bailey as they broke into a casual stroll towards the nearest bus stop. As they sat in one of the bus rows, Bailey took notice of a package in Kikumaru's possession. He held the box protectively, stroking it every so often as if to make sure it was still there. After confirming the box's existence, his eager grin would grow wider. He was clearly excited about something… well, more so than usual.

"Hyotei is just down this street," said Bailey, pointing ahead of them.

"Alright!" cheered Kikumaru, breaking into a sprint.

Bailey reached out to grab his uniform jacket but missed. "Wait, Kikumaru-kun!"

But the redhead was good amount of distance ahead of them, his attention dead-set on the school and reaching Ayame. Sighing tiredly, Bailey leaned into Fuji's side. Dread tugged at her consciousness as the ornate gates of Hyotei came into view. She was hoping to avoid confrontation with a certain someone (specifically Oshitari). As if reading her mind, Fuji squeezed Bailey's hand reassuringly.

Finally, Bailey and Fuji reached where Kikumaru was standing impatiently at the school gates. Hyotei students sauntered past the strangers, eyeing the Seigaku uniforms haughtily. Fuji and Kikumaru seemed immune to their conceited stares while Bailey wilted under their glares. Kikumaru shouted in jubilation when he spied a familiar head of blond curls that bounced in a pink ribbon.

"Hyogo-chan!" he cried, grabbing for the girl's attention.

Surprised to hear her name, Ayame stopped walking and glanced around in a frantic fashion. An easy smile appeared on her glossy lips when she indentified Kikumaru, waving earnestly at her, as well as Fuji and Bailey who stood by in a less conspicuous manner. Ignoring the curious stares of her peers, Ayame bounced over to her Seigaku friends and graced them with a pleased smile.

"What are you guys doing here?" she inquired.

Bailey shrugged. "I don't know. Ask him," she said, nodding over towards Kikumaru.

Bailey blinked. "What is it, Kikumaru-kun?"

Kikumaru bit his lip to squelch a threatening flow of excited giggles. Without explanation, he held out of the package for Ayame. Ayame eyed the package curiously before relinquishing it from his grasp. He nodded encouragingly at her, urging her to open the lid of the small box. He watched Ayame's expression intently as she carefully lifted the lid and studied its contents.

"Kikumaru-kun!" she cried, her blue eyes wide with surprise and glee. She carefully lifted a tube of lip gloss for Fuji and Bailey to see. "This is exactly what I wanted! How did you? How did you get it?"

"My sister just got a shipment of _Burt's Bees _a few days ago and she said that I could give you this lip gloss," he explained, brimming with pride.

Speechless (for the first time in her life, noted Bailey) Ayame threw her arms around Kikumaru's neck and kissed Kikumaru excitedly on the lips. Unprepared for this sort of 'thank you', Kikumaru stumbled back in surprise as Ayame released herself from the redhead. Her cheeks grew a bright crimson when she realized what she had done. Nearby, Fuji and Bailey exchanged knowing glances, clearly spotting the 'spark' shared between Ayame and Kikumaru.

"I'm sorry," stammered Ayame. "That was… um… I…"

Kikumaru shook his head to disperse his daze. "No, don't apologize," he chirped. "Hyogo-chan's kiss tasted like watermelon!"

Ayame's cheek grew even redder. "Oh… it's my watermelon-flavored lip gloss…" she mumbled.

"Eiji."

Ayame blinked. "What?"

Kikumaru graced Ayame with his signature victory sign. "You can call me Eiji."

Ayame beamed. "And you can call me Ayame," she instructed.

Bailey leaned against Fuji's shoulder, sighing blissfully at the blossoming romance. "I can't help but think I played a hand in this," she said proudly.

Fuji chuckled. "You're a regular matchmaker," he teased.

"Yes, and I think I deserve ice cream… your treat, of course."

"Of course."

Bailey tilted her head to gaze up at her boyfriend. "Do you think we should invite the two love birds?" she asked.

"No, I think they have things under control," assured Fuji.

Bailey turned back towards her new favorite couple and realized they were climbing into Ayame's town car. She smiled proudly when Kikumaru winked discreetly at her before the uniformed driver shut the car door. She waved briefly at them as the car rumbled to life and rolled down the street.

It was just another matchmaking day in the life of Bailey Watson… _I wonder if I can hook the rest of the Seigaku regulars up with someone, _Bailey thought hopefully, _hey, if there's someone for Tezuka the ice man, there's someone for everybody!_

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_Haha, the inspiration came to my as I was applying (you guessed it) _Burt's Bees!_ I love that stuff! I have the shimmer-stuff (it makes your lips look frosty). And I like the minty feel it has :3_

_- The Irish Baroness_


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